Portable dredge hull



Aug. 19, 195s J.' w. MEcKENsTocK y PORTABLE Damage HULL Filed'Aug. 17, 195e United States Paten-t O PORTABLE DREDGE HULL John W. Meckenstock, Uttawa, Ill., assignor to Meckum Engineering, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinols f Application August 17, 1956, Serial No. 604,650 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-26) The invention relates generally to hull structures, and more particularly to a dredge hull adapted for use with portable dredges and the like.

The invention has among its objects the production of a dredge hull of portable construction utilizing a plurality of individual hull sections which may be` assembled and disassembled in the water without the use of launching ways and the like.

Another object of the invention is the production of such a portable hull structure, utilizing a plurality of sections, which is so designed that the sections may be substantially identical and readily connected one to the other without special equipment and in which very eficient and durable connections may be provided.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. l is a top plan View of a dredge hull assembly embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the hull structure illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a' sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of one of the connecting structure, a portion of the deck strip being removed to disclose the same; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The present invention contemplates the fabrication of a hull structure from a plurality of individual sections or pontoons which may be placed in an assembled relation and rigidly connected one to the other as hereinafter described to form the complete hull. The individual sections are preferably of a size that will permit convenient handling and launching without the use of launching ways and the like, and after all of the sections are in the water they may be readily assembled into the completed hull, the various sections being locked together as hereinafter described in detail. It will be appreciated that a hull structure having the features mentioned enables the assembly and disassembly of the hull and handling into `and out of the water with a minimum of manual labor, etc., resulting in a considerable saving in time and a similar saving in manpower, which in connection with heavy equipment of the type involved can very materially reduce costs of operation.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly Figs. l and 2, the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a hull structure which, for example, may be utilized in connection with dredging machinery and the like, the hull 1 comprising a plurality of individual hull sections or pontoons 2, six such sections being utilized in the hull 2,847,961 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 Vrice illustrated in Fig. 1, with the hull assembly having a length of approximately twice that of a single section and a width of approximately three times that of a single section.

Each of the sections 2 may be generally rectangular in shape, having a bottom 3 and deck 4 connected by side walls 5 and end walls 6, each of which is illustrated as being generally rectangular in shape, whereby the resultant hull section is in the form of a rectangular prism.

Opposing side and end walls of adjacent sections are provided with connecting means for securing the sections one to the other, one of Isuch connecting structures being illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 wherein the opposed side.

walls 5 of the adjacent sections 2 are provided with a plurality of outwardly extending, substantially horizontal flanges 7, the anges on one section being so positioned on the associated section, with respect to the flanges on the other section, that those of one section may be brought in overlapping relation with respect to the flanges on the other section as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The arrangement preferably is such that a pair of anges on one section are positioned on opposite sides of the corresponding flanges of the other section, locking the same together to prevent vertical movement of one section relative to the other. The flanges 7 may be formed from one leg of an angle, as illustrated, the other leg 8 thereof extending parallel to the adjacent wall S and rigidly secured thereto by welding or other suitable means. The anges are each provided with an opening or hole 9 therein, which holes of the flanges associated with each hull section being vertically aligned one with the other and so positioned on the individual flanges that the holes in the flanges on one section may be axially aligned with the holes of the flanges of the other section, whereby a locking pin 11 may be inserted through such holes, thereby pinning the anges and thus the associated hull sections together.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the locking pin 11 may be provided at its lower end with a tapered or pointed end portion 12 for facilitating the insertion of the pin through the respective openings during the assembly of the hull sections carrying the same, with the upper end of the pin terminating in a suitable head 13, illustrated as being generally cylindrical, with the axis thereof extending at right angles to the axis of the body of the pin 11.

The number of connecting structures comprising the anges 7 and pins 11 utilized between adjacent hull sections may be varied, the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 utilizing four connecting structures between opposed side walls 5 of adjacent sections and two such connections between opposing end walls of adjacent sections. Likewise, depending upon the hull depth, a greater or lesser number of anges 7 may be utilized in any particular connecting structure, the embodiment of the invention illustrated, however, utilizing three, one adjacent the deck 4, one adjacent the bottom 3 and the third approximately half way between the top and bottom flanges.

In `assembling the hull structure, the individual sections 2 may be placed into the water and iloated into approximate relative positions, the flanges 7 of a connection of one hull section brought into operative alignment with the corresponding flanges of a connection on the adjacent hull section, and a pin 11 inserted in the aligned openings 9 of the flanges to pin the section together, following which it is a relatively simple matter to bring the hull sections in proper relative positions to enable the remaining connecting structures to be operatively assembled in like manner. To facilitate the assembly of the various sections, the uppermost flanges 7 on the hull sections may be provided with alignable openings 14 through` which bolts 15 may be extended and locked in position with suitable lock washers 16 and nuts 17. After the hull sections have been connected in assembled relation as described, additional reinforcing members 18, illustrated in the embodiment disclosed in the drawings as'being sections of C beam, may be bridged across the gaps between adjoining hull sections,y as for example adjacent the bottom 3 and deck 4, and rigidly connected thereto by suitable means such as welding. Thus, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, such reinforcing members may be positioned along aligned side Walls 5 of the outermost sections and along aligned end walls 6 thereof.

A smooth deck surface over the entire area of the hull may be provided by bridging the gaps between adjacent hull sections with suitable sheet or strip material 19 which may be secured to the adjoining hull sections by suitable means as for example welding.

It will be appreciated that the strips 19 not only complete the deck surface of the assembled hull structure, but also provide means for'preventing undesired withdrawal of the pins 11.

It will be appreciated from the above description that the present invention enables the fabrication of a dredge hull structure or the like from a plurality of individually buoyant hull sections which may be readily assembled in cooperable relation, substantially all of the assembly operations being accomplished above the surface of the water, only the lowermost reinforcing members 18 adjacent the hull bottoms being assembled below the hull water line.

When it is desired to disassemble, the reinforcing members 18 may be readily cut apart to sever the two hull sections and the connecting strips 19 likewise removed, following which the bolts 15 may be taken out and the locking pins 11 withdrawn from the flanges 7.

It will be appreciated that while I have illustrated the various hull sections 2 as being generally rectangular in shape and of like length and width, the hull sections may be constructed in any suitable manner, the various sections being so shaped that they may be assembled in a desired relationship and adjoining walls provided with connecting structures for receiving the locking pin or other member.

It will also be appreciated that as the individual hull sections 2, are only a fraction of the total hull, such sections may be readily maneuvered, transported and placed in or taken from the water, and may be readily assembled or disassembled with a minimum amount of effort.

Having thus described my invention, it is Obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a portable dredge hull, the combination of a plurality of hollow, independently buoyant hull sections, each having a bottom, a deck and generally rectangular shaped side and end walls therebetween, said sections being'assembled in cooperable arrangement to form a hull structure, each section having a plurality of laterally spaced connecting structures, each cooperable with a like structure on the adjacent section, each structure cornprising a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal flanges extending outwardly from the associated hull wall, and having a hole therein on an axis common to the holes in another cooperable ange, the structures being so arranged on the various sections that the holes in the anges of each structure may be aligned with the holes in a cooperable structure carried by an adjacent section, and a headed locking pin for each pair of cooperable structures passing through the aligned holes of each pair, reinforcing members connecting aligned exposed Walls of adjoining sections adjacent the deck and bottom thereof and rigidly secured thereto, and means extending along and secured to the hull deck, bridging the gaps between adjacent vsections and overlying the heads of said locking pins, operative to restrict withdrawal movement of such pins.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,453,155 Nelson Nov. 9, 1948 2,681,190 Thomson lune l5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 564,485 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1944 

